Success… Sophistication… Creative Freedom…. The Art of Style and the City of Angels: Designer Rami Kashou is living the American Dream in his adopted Los Angeles, far from his native Ramallah, Palestine in the West Bank, and loving it!

Who knows what paths in life our choices will take us, with their whims of fortune and failure, but self taught designer Rami Kashou has become very successful, with an intuitive feel for what women seek out in clothing and elaborate creations that swirl of femininity, style and his pleasing drapery techniques.

Meanwhile, the fashion cognoscenti have bequeathed Rami with their chic approval as his apparel has been embraced by the stars and celebs from Rihanna to Dita Von Teese to Heidi Klum and Becki Newton to Jessica Alba and Queen Rania.

We thank Rami for taking time out from his busy schedule to do the interview, and for more information on Rami and his latest collections, please visit Rami Kashou.com or Rami on Twitter and Facebook.

Fashion Time: Rami, you’re originally from Jerusalem and Ramallah, Palestine in the West Bank, and here you are now in Los Angeles. Why did you leave Ramallah and what attracted you to LA?

Rami Kashou: I left home and came to Los Angeles in hope to follow my dream of becoming a fashion designer. I felt that in the US there are more opportunities to making it possible and materializing my ideas. Los Angeles offered me a lifestyle that supported my art and ambition as a designer. Hollywood also plays a big part in being connected and building relationships with celebrities as well as dressing them for the red carpet.

Fashion Time: You’ve made a connection with Queen Rania of Jordan and now she is a patron of yours. When designing for the Queen, what pieces are you trying to create and what themes are you incorporating into your designs?

Rami Kashou: The Queen has been a great supporter of my work which I am very grateful for. What I focused in the design process for Her Majesty was creating looks that exude her elegance, strength and femininity. She is a worldly and unique woman and making sure that the garments expressed these qualities was very important to me. I designed classic looks with a twist that had a strong presence and dramatis effect in a practical and modern way.

Queen Rania of Jordan

Fashion Time: Who do you design your clothes for? What segment, milieu, of fashion-conscious women are you trying to reach?

Rami Kashou: I design for all women that would like to feel unique, have an appreciation to the finer qualities in dressing and attention to detail. That also includes brides as well as the every day woman who is interested in being fashionable yet at the same stand out and not blend into the seasonal trends specifically.

Fashion Time: You’re a self-taught designer. Has that helped you? Hindered you?  Would it have been better to have a more structured background in fashion?

Rami Kashou: I think being self taught gave me the freedom to express my vision as an artist without worrying about what was right or wrong. It certainly allowed me to discover draping which is a strong signature look of my work along with others.

Malin Akerman, Heidi Klum, Keri Hilson

Fashion Time: What surprised you about Project Runway – what secrets can you share with us from your time with the show?

Rami Kashou: The many hours that we worked, sewed with not a single day off .. and the very little sleep that we got… As for a secret.. Heidi is very goofy and funny which you hardly see during the show.. she sometimes yodels on stage.

Fashion Time: What do you do for fun? How do you get away from it all and relax from the daily grind?

Rami Kashou: I work out, cook, watch movies, entertain friends, travel, read.

Fashion Time: Your biggest strength as a designer? Your greatest weakness?

Rami Kashou: Strength: my understanding of the female body. Weakness: I am too hard on myself.

Fashion Time: To be a good fashion designer you must?

Rami Kashou: Be inventive, original, be able to listen, open for change, imagine, predict, understand, problem solve, patient, determined.

Fashion Time: You’ve designed for a lot of celebrities: Heidi Klum, Rihanna, Jessica Alba, Becki Newton, Dita Von Teese… Are there any past or present celebs that you would have loved or love to design for… and why?

Rami Kashou: Angelina Jolie: She is a very influential global figure who is beautiful, talented, connected to the planet and all that comes with it. She is smart and is making a difference.

Fashion Time: Do you have any interest in the future of doing fast fashion or collaborating with say, Target or H&M or Zara?

Rami Kashou:I would be happy to.

Fashion Time: Will you be a designer for all your life? Do you ever say to yourself, “That Tom Ford, directing his own movie, hot damn I’d like to try that myself?”

Rami Kashou: I would hope that I do other things than design, but that doesn’t mean I plan on stopping designing. So yes I am open to other projects and taking new avenues in my future. Life is about new experiences.

Fashion Time: What will be the main stylistic themes of your next collection and when will it be shown?

Rami Kashou: The theme is tailored, embellished looks for the cocktail hour. Fun party dresses and some evening and bridal gowns, it will be showcased on my website.

sources: Getty, Zimbio, fancast.com, bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com, fash-eccentric.com